The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-09-17

Always in Debt with 100000 Year.
" at his Command.
Letter in New York Post.

4
His Majesty receives the rentals
of what are called the crown lands,
the amount of which rentals is now
about $40, 900 per annum. In addi-
ton to this he receives a grant from
the legislature Of about $4,000 a
year. The Legislature also provides
for the payment of his body guard,
some of his household expenses,
and cost of his musicians, thirty
in number, who under the leader
ship of Berger, German band
master, compare favorably with the
best bands of Europe. Kalakaua
gets about 100000 per annum, but
this sum by no means satisfies his
wants. He has no sense Of the
value of money, and will buy any
thing which pleases him, without
regard to cost. The consequence
is he is always deeply in debt, and
borrows from anyone who will
lend.
"This thriftless habit was the
cause of his taking the opium bribe.
So long as Col. Judd, a son of one
of the early missionaries, was his
chamberlain, some control was put
on the kings extravaganza. But
Col. Judd, though on the most in
innate terms with the king, was dis
missed at the demand of Gibson,
who feared his integrity, and
Kanaka was put in his place who
has already got the kings affairs
into a muddle, and now publicly
declares that he will pay no debt
of the king unless previously Or
dered by himself.
at is quite probable that the
king will like the new political
condition of affairs in Hawaii.
He saves his head, keeps his palace,
which cost about 100000, has an
income of 100000, keeps in good
and regular standing as a king, can
entertain distinguished strangers,
and at the same time be free from
political complications. The native
politicians always pressed him to
do illegal things. He will now say
Il desire no power At the same
time he is tricky, and, if he sees
his way clear, may make trouble
for the revolutionists. Probably
he will not. He has had several
'unpleasantnesses' with his white
subjects before, and he has rather
held them in contempt.
In the recent disturbance he was
amazed to find that he was con-
fronted with::rifes. Although he was
warned repeatedly that the worms
would turn at last, he always re-
piled: They attack me in the
newspapers, and then they go to
Sleep During the revolution the
United States war ship John Adams
was in the port of Honolulu. The
king was much surprised when the
United States minister refused to
land the marines and protect him.
He claimed that it was only court
esq to do so, but the minister in
formed him that he must fight out |
his disputes with his subjects with
out any foreign aid. On the day |
of his election to the throne, in 1874,
he would have been torn in pieces
by a mob if the marines of two
war ships, Englishand American,
had not landed and protected him.
But then he had the friendship and
support of all the foreigners.
Finding that the war ships would
not help him, and being confronted
with several hundred rifles, he
made the best bargain he could.
That the whites permit him to rule
at all shows the powerful, kind,
influence of the mis-
sionary party who accomplished
so much for the native people. If
that party had not existed the king
would have been killed and the ma
tives butchered, as was done in
New Zealand by the English.